World Athletics has announced its final nominees for the prestigious Athletes of the Year award, but some notable names are absent from the list, surprising many in the athletics world.
Kenyan stars Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who each delivered outstanding performances this season, did not make the final cut.
- Beatrice Chebet set a new 10,000m world record and clinched two gold medals in Paris, securing her place as one of the season’s top performers.
- Faith Kipyegon broke multiple records this year, further establishing her legacy as one of Kenya’s finest middle-distance runners.
- Ruth Chepng’etich, however, earned a nomination, joining top athletes like Julien Alfred and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the final round of contenders for the award.
Despite their exceptional achievements, Kipyegon, Chebet, and Wanyonyi’s exclusion from the nominee list has left many fans and analysts debating the criteria used for the final selections.
Ruth Chepng’etich is the sole Kenyan contender for the World Athlete of the Year award this year, having recently broken the women’s marathon world record in Chicago.
Chepng’etich faces tough competition from other athletic giants, including Paris triple-gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and 100m champion Julien Alfred, who are also in the running for Female Athlete of the Year.
The impressive nominee list features Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan, heptathlon Olympic gold medalist Nafi Thiam, and Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who set a new world high jump record and claimed Olympic gold.
Who is your Female Athlete of the Year? 🤩
Vote for your 2024 World Athlete of the Year amongst these finalists in the #AthleticsAwards.
Voting closes on Sunday 10 November at 11:59PM CET.
Link to vote 👉 https://t.co/KG4Zf4F6lC pic.twitter.com/TwHa1xqCAz
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) November 4, 2024
Kipyegon and Chebet Miss Out
Despite the star-studded lineup, the final list has stirred sharp reactions following the omission of two of Kenya’s top athletes in 2024.
Beatrice Chebet arguably delivered the season of her career, beginning with a record-breaking 10,000m run at the Prefontaine Classic.
She then excelled in Paris, claiming double gold by first outpacing Kipyegon for the 5000m title and later securing victory in the 10,000m race.
Beatrice Chebet’s 2024 season
-Broke the 10,000m WR (1st woman ever to dip under 29)
-Won two Olympic gold medals (third woman to win both 5000m and 10000m at same games)
-Won the 5000m Diamond League Trophy😶. https://t.co/gx7bJePi91 pic.twitter.com/ET5mjPcJ6n
— Martin Moses (@_martinmoses) November 5, 2024
Who is your Female Athlete of the Year? 🤩
Vote for your 2024 World Athlete of the Year amongst these finalists in the #AthleticsAwards.
Voting closes on Sunday 10 November at 11:59PM CET.
Link to vote 👉 https://t.co/KG4Zf4F6lC pic.twitter.com/TwHa1xqCAz
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) November 4, 2024
Kipyegon meanwhile broke her own 1500m world record again before becoming the first person, male or female, to successfully win three consecutive Olympic titles in the distance. Both Kipyegon and Chebet also won the Diamond League trophy, among other achievements.
@TMK said,
“Beatrice Chebet did the track distance double at the Olympics, won the DL trophy in the 5k & broke the 10K WR only to end up not being a finalist? Not to mention Faith Kipyegon? With all due respect, how have you decided that either Sydney or Julien Alfred had a better season?”
@Lavadoras said,
“Beatrice Chebet, who won two individual Olympic gold medals, unlike all these -great athletes you have chosen.”
The winner will be announced on December 1.